The Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VEPEAG) and the Ghana Association of Vegetable Exporters (GAVEX) are set to launch the ‘Ghana Vegetables’ to increase the production and supply of quality fruits and vegetables and boost exports.
The Vegetable Producers and Exporters Association of Ghana (VEPEAG) and the Ghana Association of Vegetable Exporters (GAVEX) have worked independently over the years and made significant investments in the growth of the sector and its contribution to the Ghanaian economy.
‘Ghana Vegetables’ will be launched in Accra on June 23, 2022, on the theme: Towards a Competitive and Innovative High-value Fruit and Vegetable sector.
Commenting on the milestone, the President of VEPEAG, Dr. Felix Mawuli Kamassah, noted that there had been attempts to consolidate the efforts and strategies of the VEPEAG and GAVEX to present a formidable front to pursue reforms that will benefit the producers and exporters of fresh vegetables.
“We are happy to announce the crystallization of our efforts into forming Ghana Vegetables, a blueprint that will soar the growth of Ghana’s fruits and vegetable industry while taking advantage of existing export market opportunities.”
Dr. Felix Mawuli Kamassah
‘Ghana Vegetables’ to boost vegetable exports in Ghana
Dr. Kamassah lauded the work done by Hortifresh West Africa in laying the platform for the birth of the new ‘Ghana vegetables’ project.
The two have jointly announced the formation of ‘Ghana Vegetables’, an action plan to revolutionize Ghana’s fruits and vegetable industry by promoting safe fruit and vegetable production, good postharvest handling and distribution, and using sound and environmentally sustainable agricultural practices.
For his part, the President of GAVEX, Mr. Collins Mawuli Hodey, said the partnership would broaden the impacts of GAVEX.
“This partnership with VEPEAG will broaden our reach and ability to support new initiatives for the fruits and vegetable sector. ‘Ghana Vegetables’ will introduce measures to ensure vegetable farmers and exporters are better off.”
Mr. Collins Mawuli Hodey
Ghana’s favorable conditions for vegetable cultivation, proximity to, and bilateral relations with the European Union (EU) have positioned the country at an advantage to benefit from vegetable exports.
Among others, the ‘Ghana Vegetables’ will work to ensure the production of quality volumes of vegetables for local and international markets to promote the consumption of more vegetables by Ghanaians.
However, this advantage has not been fully exploited over the years due to low productivity and other challenges.
‘Ghana Vegetables’, a rebirth of Hortifresh
Many Agri-experts have lauded the ‘Ghana Vegetables’ initiative and have called it a rebirth of the Hortifresh programme.
Hortifresh, a competitive and innovative high-value fruit and vegetable sector initiative, is a programme supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to establish a sustainable and internationally competitive fruit and vegetable sector that contributes to inclusive economic growth and food and nutrition security in Ghana and the Ivory Coast.
Hortifresh replaced the GhanaVeg programme implemented from 2013 to 2017 to develop a competitive and sustainable vegetable sector in Ghana.
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